AAC Training is Thriving On Vancouver Island

HSW 210, was offered for the first time during the fall of 1999 at the Port Alberni and Comox Valley campuses of North Island College. HSW 210, "Introduction to Augmentative and Alternative Communication" was introduced as an elective course in the Human Service Worker program. It was open to Human Services students, teaching assistants and parents of children with special needs. The length of the course was twenty-seven hours, with three-hour classes held in the late afternoon or evening for nine consecutive weeks.

Administrative leadership for this project was provided by: Dr. Terrance James, Director of Instruction, Student Services, School District #71 (Comox Valley), Lorna Rankin, Principal, Student Services, School District #70 (Port Alberni) and Linda Ruehlen, Associate Dean, Applied Programs, Health and Careers, North Island College.

Jim Foulds and Susan Lang Phillips, Speech-Language Pathologists working in school districts 70 and 71 developed and taught the course. During previous summers, both instructors had taken ED D 487, "Introduction to Technology for Students with Special Needs,"a credit course through the University of Victoria taught by Special Education Technology - British Columbia (SET-BC staff ) at the SET-BC Lab in Victoria.

A "hands-on" approach to learning was utilized during the HSW 210 course. Course instruction included time in the computer lab and in the classroom. Access to AAC hardware and software gave HSW 210 students the opportunity to receive instruction on the use of AAC assistive technology currently being used in schools. SET-BC supported HSW 210 by providing "Boardmaker," "Intellikeys," "Intellipics," "Overlay maker," and a variety of Voice Output Communication Aids (VOCAs) and switches on a short-term loan.

The use of the internet as a resource was demonstrated by visiting web sites such as those of AAC companies, AAC information sites, and sites which provide tutorials for devices and software.

Other topics which were covered during the course included:

• An overview of language development, social communication skills, the functions of language and strategies to stimulate language and communication skills.

• The importance of teamwork and the role and responsibilities of each member of a typical AAC team in the school setting.

• The use of visual strategies in the classroom and discussion of factors the speech-language pathologist would take into consideration when planning the use of visual supports including, "levels of representation" and receptive/expressive language ability.

• The practical aspects of making visual supports and communication boards using commonly available materials, (for example; using trading card pages as e-trans) and the wide range of sources for photographs, pictures and symbols were covered. Both traditional methods (cut and paste) and the uses of technology (digital cameras and scanners) were discussed.

In Courtenay, two itinerant resource teachers and two teaching assistants participated in the class on "AAC in the classroom" which included discussion of adapting games, books, and curriculum materials as well as ways to encourage peer interaction and participation of the special needs child in classroom activities. Courtenay was also fortunate to have a parent of a child who uses AAC visit and share the perspective of a family.

AAC strategies, software and devices at a low, medium and high-tech level were discussed and several of the SET-BC videos were shown. In Port Alberni an AAC device user visited to demonstrate the use of a Deltatalker which he accesses with a light pointer.

Marks were awarded on the basis of two exams and seven brief projects and were consistent with other HSW courses offered by North Island College. Some of the projects were completed in class and included activities such as: making a communication board and role-playing its use and, with a scenario provided by the instructor, planning an activity for use of a VOCA in a classroom activity and demonstrating that activity to the class.

Feedback on the course from students and others has been positive.

Jim will be teaching this course again beginning April 1, 2000 at the Ucluelet campus of North Island College. The course will be taught six hours per day on alternate Saturdays during April and May.

HSW 210 has also been requested as a course offering in Port Hardy.

Jim and Susan would like to thank Sally Wisden and Summer McGee, Human Service Worker Program of North Island College (Comox Valley), Rick Olson (Port Alberni), and Bill Morrison (Ucluelet/Tofino) for all their support and guidance. Thanks are also extended to SET-BC and the Provincial Loan Bank